Window-shelf.



G. B. HAWVER.

WINDOW. SHELF.

APPLICATION IILED J'AN.7, 1910.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Jliiol'ngy.

' stops.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. HAWVER, 0F SYRACUSE, NEWYORK.

' "WINDOW-SHELF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it mag concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. HAwvnR, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in a VVindow- Shelf, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in window shelves adapted to be partially supported upon the windowsills just outside of the windows of tenement or other apartments for receiving and support- I articles placed therein without liability of accidental displacement. 1

Another object is to construct the shelf in sections, slidably'interlocked with each other so as to be readily adjustable to con form to different widths of windows.

A further object is to provide at least one end of the shelf with a depressed pocket or well of greater depth than. the remaining portions of the shelf for the reception of milk bottles and similar articles.

A still further object is to construct the well with movable sides, ends and bottom capable of being folded to nearly the same plane as the bottom of the main body of H the shelf, so as to occupy a minimum amount 1 well or pocket.

of space in storage ortransportation.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.-

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a window and my improved shelf mounted therein. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views taken respectively on lines 22 and 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one corner of the Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View through the inner corner of the shelf and adjacentportion of the window casing showing the manner of interlocking the shelf with one of the window This shelf may be installed in any window having a sill a and one or more guide stops b secured to the side casings, as 0, for guiding or retaining the window sash, as e, said shelf consisting, in this instance, of two lengthwise sections 1 and 2 slidably interlocked with each other to conform to diflerent widths ofwin dows and held in their adjusted positions by suitable clamping means, as a bolt 3-.

The shelf is placed just outside of the window sash with its inner edge resting upon the'sill a and the outer portionof its opposite ends connected by upwardly and inwardly inclined rods or cables and screw eyes 5- to the casings c-, as

clearly shown in Fig. 1. The shelf proper is preferably made of sheet met-alhaving a closed bottom and in-. closed on threesides viz. the outer side and ends, by a marginal flange extending up wardly from the bottom a suflicient distance to prevent accidental displacement of the articles therein, the inner side of the shelf being open to permit free access to the interior of the shelf when the window sash e is opened.

v The section 1 comprises a bottom portion 6, and upright flange -7 run-.

ning along its outer edge and rising from the bottom andan upwardly projecting end flange -8 united at its outer end to the adjacent end of the flange 7 and having its inner end provided with a lateral offset or shoulder 9 adaptedto engage or interlock with the inner face of oneof the stops, as 7), to hold this end of the shelf against outward displacement from the sill -.a-. The section 2 also comprises a bottom portion 1O a lengthwise flange -11 projecting upwardly from the outer edge of .the bottom 10 and an upwardly projecting end flange 1 2 which is parallel with the end flange 8. and is also'provided at its inner end with a lateral offset similar to the offset -9- and serving to hold this end of the shelf against outward displacement from the sill a'. :The upper edge of the lengthwise flange 11 of the section --2 is turned inwardly and Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Application filed January 7, 1910. Serial No. 536,837.

-1-. These guide flanges 13 and 14 are of the same length but considerably shorter than the entire length of the shelf and serve to hold the section 1- against vertical or transverse displacement relatively to the shelf section -2 and at the same time permitting both sections to be adjusted lengthwise relatively to each other, to conform to different widths of windows and also to enable the oflset shoulders 9 and -9 to be properly entered behind or interlocked with the lower ends of the stops b-. The lengthwise flange of one of the sections, as l-, is provided with a lengthwise slot l5 through which the bolt 3 is passed for clamping the two shelf sections together against relative movement when properly adjusted in the window.

It is now clear that the inner side of the shelf is supported wholly upon the sill -a and held against displacement therefrom by the engagement of the shoulders 9 with the inner faces of the stops -Z without other fastening means, the chains 4E serving merely to support the outer portions of the shelf.

The bottom of the shelf section 2 is of substantially the same length as the flanges 1l and -let and is formed with a well or pocket 16 which is reotangular in form and provided with opposite folding sides l7 and folding ends 18 all of which are hinged at their upper edges to the main bottom 10 so as to fold upwardly into substantially the same plane as the main bottom. The sides 17 of the well are preferably of the same ver tical depth or width, substantially equal to half of the length of the well so as to permit them to be folded upwardly in substan tially the same plane with their inner edges in close proximity. The bottom of the well is formed by folding sections 19 hinged to the lower edges of the ends 18 in such manner as to fold upwardly against the inner faces of the ends or downwardly to a horizontal position and are equal in width to substantially half the length of the well to form a substantially flat bottom when folded for use. The lower edges of the folding sides 17 are turned up wardly and inwardly forming stop shoulders or flanges 20 and grooves 21 for receiving and supporting the adjacent ends of the bottom sections -19, the ends of which are deflected downwardly to enter the grooves -2l when adjusted for use thereby holding the side wings 17- against outward displacement. As a further means for supporting the bottom sections l9 of the well in a horizontal position, the opposite ends of their inner edges are connected by chains or other flexible members 22 to the upper portions of the ends of the well, as shown by full lines in Figs. 1, 3 and i and by dotted lines in Fig. 2, said chains being located in close proximity to the side wings 17- so as not to interfere with the free insertion or removal of the articles in and from the well and also serve as means whereby the bottom sections 19 and end wings 18 may be drawn or folded upwardly by hand when necessary thus permitting access to the side wings 17- which may be also folded upwardly to a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, when desired. When the entire shelf is placed in operative position and adjusted for use, the well may be covered by a suitable cap or lid 23 to protect the articles therein against dustand other foreign matter.

It is now clear from the foregoing description that the side, end and bottom sections of the well 1G may be folded upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 or in substantially the same horizontal plane as the main bottom of the shelf so as to occupy the minimum space in storage or transportation, the cover Q3 being removed and placed flatwise within the shelf under such conditions.

In mounting the shelf in operative position in a window, the clamping member -3 is loosened and the telescoping sections l and 2 adjusted so as to permit theinsertion of the shoulders 9 in behind the stops bwith the inner edge of the shelf resting upon the sill whereupon the upper ends of the chains -Zl are fastened by the screw eyes -5- to the casing c in such manner as to hold the shelf in a substantially horizontal position, after which the folded wings -l7- and 18 and bottom sections l9 are allowed to drop down until the opposite ends of the bottom sections 19 rest upon the flanges 20- and interlock with the grooves 21, the chains -22 serving also to limit the downward movement of the free ends of the bottom sections -19. The shelf is now ready for use after clamping the sections -1 and 2- together by the clamping bolt 3 and, when desired, the cap or slide 23 may be placed in operative position for the purpose described.

In some instances I may prefer to support the outer port-ion of the shelf by brackets -26 secured thereto and resting against the side of the building thereby obviating the use of the chains et and screw eyes 5.

What I claim is:

1. A sheet metal window shelf composed of two sections adjustably positioned lengthwise of each other, one of said sections having a relatively broad down-turned front flange and a relatively narrow inturned rear flange and said flanges adapted to engage the other of said sections, the said flanged one of said sections being provided with an opening in the bottom thereof, folding members hmged thereto at the opposite sides and ends of said opening, folding bottom members hinged to the lower edges of two of the first-named members, inwardly-projecting grooved flanges upon the others of said members and said bottom members adapted for seating upon said last-named flanges.

2. A sheet metal window shelf comprising a bottom provided with an opening therein, folding members hinged to said bottom at the opposite sides and ends of the opening therein, folding bottom members hinged to the lower edges of the folding members positioned at the ends of the opening, terminal angularly-projecting flanges upon the others of said folding members and having longitudinal grooves formed therein and said grooves adapted for engagement with ends of the first-named folding members, and supporting chains positioned between said bottom members and the folding members to which said bottom members are hinged.

3. A window shelf'provided with downweirdly-projecting sides and ends arranged to form a well, inwardly-projecting grooved flanges upon said sides, the bottom members hinged to said ends and adapted for resting upon said flanges engaging with said grooves, and chains positioned between said bottom members and the said ends.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 30th day of December 1909.

CHARLES B. HAWVER. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, A. L. HUMPHREY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. v

Cir 

